Macintosh Hacker Attacks Are on the Rise -Symantec

[kimchicowboy]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp.../tech_apple_dc

Macintosh Hacker Attacks Are on the Rise -Symantec

Tue Mar 22, 8:16 PM ET

Technology - Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Hacker attacks on Apple Computer Inc.'s (Nasdaq:AAPL - news) Macintosh (news - web sites) OS X operating system, thought by many who use the Mac to be virtually immune to attack, are on the rise, according to a report from anti-virus software vendor Symantec Corp (Nasdaq:SYMC - news).

"Contrary to popular belief, the Macintosh operating system has not always been a safe haven from malicious code," said the report, which was issued on Monday.

"It is now clear that the Mac OS is increasingly becoming a target for the malicious activity that is more commonly associated with Microsoft and various Unix (news - web sites)-based operating systems."

An Apple spokesman said the Cupertino, California-based company would have no comment on the report.

Many in the Macintosh computer community have long claimed that the Mac platform has been virtually immune to attack -- unlike Microsoft Corp.'s (Nasdaq:MSFT - news) Windows operating system, which runs on more than 90 percent of the world's personal computers.

The Macintosh operating system, the current version of which is based on the Unix operating system, has less than 5 percent of the global market for computer operating systems.

"All these platforms have vulnerabilities - it's a fact of life," said Gartner analyst Martin Reynolds. "The truth of the matter is that Mac is only a couple percentage points of (computer) shipments so it's not an interesting target."

Apple's recent introduction of the Mac mini, a $500 computer sold without a display, keyboard or mouse, could actually increase the likelihood of more malicious software computer code targeting the Mac platform, Symantec said.

"The market penetration of Macintosh platforms will be accelerated by the much lower priced Mac mini, which may be purchased by less security-savvy users," the report said. "As a result, the number of vulnerabilities can be expected to increase, as will malicious activity that targets them."

Symantec said that over the past year, it had documented 37 high-vulnerabilities -- weaknesses that leave the system open to malicious software attacks -- in Mac OS X (news - web sites). They "have been confirmed by the vendor, which, in the Apple case, almost always means that the company has released a patch."

A patch is a small piece of software designed to shore up a vulnerability or to fix other software glitches.

At the same time, the report said that while those vulnerabilities in the Mac operating system will increase, "they will likely be outnumbered in other operating systems for some time to come."

Shares of Apple fell 87 cents, or 2 percent, to close at $42.83 on Nasdaq.

[Jeffbx]

"All these platforms have vulnerabilities - it's a fact of life," said Gartner analyst Martin Reynolds. "The truth of the matter is that Mac is only a couple percentage points of (computer) shipments so it's not an interesting target."

Man, I've been saying this for years. NO OS is safe from attack - some are just less popular targets. MS is probably the safest platform available today BECAUSE of the volume of attacks against them.

[ribitch]

its great to see the world seeing apple as an alternative to windows.

Anyways, I partially agree with jeffbx. No OS is safe from any sort of attack. I do not see windows as being safe due to the amount of spyware and the number of new viruses written for it. The numbers continued to rise.

I find it ammusing that my windows smartphone has a higher risk of getting a virus than my dekstop and laptop do.

[mcs328]

I've been getting sms spammed for a few weeks now

[Joshua]

its great to see the world seeing apple as an alternative to windows.

Anyways, I partially agree with jeffbx. No OS is safe from any sort of attack. I do not see windows as being safe due to the amount of spyware and the number of new viruses written for it. The numbers continued to rise.

I find it ammusing that my windows smartphone has a higher risk of getting a virus than my dekstop and laptop do.

That's why you need MY PRECIOUS!

[BrewMaster]

i think Macs have gained some business lately because they are perceived as less likely to be corrupted because they are less of a target. i know at least 6 less tech-savvy people that bought them for that reason. i wonder if this trend will change...

[bachviet]

i think Macs have gained some business lately because they are perceived as less likely to be corrupted because they are less of a target. i know at least 6 less tech-savvy people that bought them for that reason. i wonder if this trend will change...

It will until more attacks target Mac OS X.

[Jeffbx]

i think Macs have gained some business lately because they are perceived as less likely to be corrupted because they are less of a target. i know at least 6 less tech-savvy people that bought them for that reason. i wonder if this trend will change...

Oh, it'll change....

http://www.gotapex.com/forums/showpo...9&postcount=11

The reason I say Windows is more secure is that in the above example, MS had a patch available within a coule of days, while it took Apple THREE MONTHS to patch this vulnerability.

I'd say Apple is in about the same position as MS was back about 4-5 years ago - just realizing that security is a crucial part of business. Back then, MS just swept security concerns under the rug until it got to be such a fun thing for hackers to break the OS. I think if Apple doesn't catch onto this pretty quickly, they'll be the next popular taget. Worst case, you'll start to see Melissa type viruses that attack the Mac OS sweeping across the internet. In a case like that, they'll need to respond within HOURS, not months.

Security issues were shoved down MS's throat before they made it a very high priority - hopefully Apple won't repeat that mistake.

[Airencracken]

after seeing the mini mac in person it's a lot more appealing.

[kimchicowboy]

you know what was interesting? my friend here was reinstalling win XP pro on his computer after reformatting. and after it reinstalled as he was about to start downloading programs to install, he already got a virus on his computer that always shut down his computer. i've never heard of that happening before.

[eSDee]

I gotta say I don't really like patching my Mac seemingly ever other day.